Mastering the Marketplace

All of the ‘licenses that we have must be renewed on a regular basis: driver’s license, dog license, passport, registration, and so on.

I think it is also true for our calling and life vision. The book of Romans is a great book for Spiritual Renewal. It is as close as you can get to getting God in a box [and I write that with all respect.]

Through Paul, God was able to communicate so much truth in just 16 chapters. He covers salvation, justification, predestination, glorification, transformation and any other “ation” there is out there that God would have for us.

One of my favorite chapters in this book, [and I am sure that I am not alone], is Romans 8. It is a huge reminder of what God has done and provided for us. I put together a brief PowerPoint that covers some of the highlights from the book of Romans. I titled the PowerPoint: Remarkable Romans.

If you are a political ideologue, this post is NOT for you. But for those of us who are looking around at the circus of discussions taking place and wondering, How did we get to this place? This post is for you.

I believe that America (not just the world) is suffering from LDD – Leadership Deficit Disorder.

Solution #1: Those who love Jesus, not just profess him, but actually love and serve him, must understand that this calls for an all-out prayer war.

Solution #2: We need a massive redefinition of leadership. One of the reasons that our founding fathers were such great leaders was the fact that, for the most part, they were real followers. Most of the founding fathers believed and followed Jesus. The leaders that we are called to follow and support, according to the New Testament, must be followers of Jesus.

Paul writes, Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ. 1 Cor 11:1 KJV

The new media culture has redefined what it means to be a leader and a follower. But the New Testament already has instructed us on this matter:

1 Corinthians 4:16 Therefore I urge you to imitate me.

Philippians 3:17 Join one another in following my example, brothers, and carefully observe those who live according to the pattern we set for you.

1 Thessalonians 1:6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord when you welcomed the message with the joy of the Holy Spirit, in spite of your great suffering.

There is no question about it: Jesus was and is a great example of a leader. But Jesus never had a blog. He never wrote a book, (even though he is the Word). He never set up an organizational structure with job descriptions. He didn’t create a logo. He refused to set up a school of training outside of the School of the Holy Spirit. I don’t think that he would ever appear on the Tonight Show, the Today Show, The View or even The Factor.

Look at his description in Isaiah 53:2-4:

2 He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.

But in spite of this, Jesus is the greatest leader who ever lived, raising up billions of followers who continue even two thousand years after his death.

So let’s look at the present model of leadership training: they look to make you smarter, more follow-worthy, visible, attractive, and charismatic.

But leadership isn’t spelled with a “you.”

Here are some of the qualities of a leader:

Integrity

Humility

Ability

Mission-Centric Vision

Conversations that are Vision-Mission-Worthy

Frustration and intolerance for things not Vision-Worthy

An incredible capacity to give birth to new leaders

Some of these qualities cannot be taught; they can only be modeled.

We are a culture that has become quite facile in speaking out of both sides of our mouths.

One of the leaders that I know who was on the New York Stock Exchange is also a man who has been sober for over three decades. Yet, in spite of his acknowledged weakness in the area of alcohol, he was sought out for advice by hundreds of individuals for his wisdom.

What he learned through his weakness was a form of power that would sustain him, and others, through the storms of life.

Could it be that God permits our weaknesses because it is through our weakness that we discover his grace and power? Well this obviously was the way St. Paul saw it.

2 Cor 12:9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

A Turning Point
Repentance is no longer a cultural value; as a matter of fact, an individual is prosecuted if they do acknowledge their wrong, and disqualified as someone worth following. Thus we engender a cover-up culture, from make-up to crime.

Our culture is dominated by the “smartest person in the room” pathology. We are prone to worship and follow (yes, when you follow someone, it is an extension of worship) those individuals who are strategic, innovators, change-agents and talented, not to mention beautiful and cool.

When was the last time you heard a leader described as being meek? Yet two of the greatest leaders in scripture are referred to as being meek: Moses and Jesus. Maybe that is why there is such a void of the presence of God?

James writes:
But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.

I believe that God has a remnant of leaders he is training.

You can identify them as the people who say, “Thank you.”
The people who say, “You are right, I was wrong.”
The people who give before they are asked.
The people who are not disturbed by traffic.
They hold doors, they listen more than they speak.
Don’t spend more than they make.
Don’t promise what they can’t deliver.
Don’t hide their weaknesses, but acknowledge them.

This summer the news ‘buzz’ is about the Zika virus threat. There have been thousands of stories and reports on the issue. To date: as of August 10, 2016, there have been a total of 6 confirmed cases in which the virus was contracted in the U.S.

If we were to be objective about it, the bigger ‘buzz’ is the 24-hour news cycle that attempts to keep us riveted to the media platform of choice: TV, radio, Sirius, Facebook, Twitter, and the 1,200 other cable channels out there.

We consume what amounts to reading 7 daily newspapers – cover to cover – every single day. It is amazing we get any real work done.

Decibels and Data
Compounded by the news cycles, which began with the evening news, which then gave birth to the Morning News (Good Morning America launched in 1975 – preceded by the Today Show), then spawned the cable news concept of 24-hour Breaking News, which transforms a snowstorm into an imminent apocalypse.

Allow me to go off the reservation on this: I think all this ‘information’ is sucking the spiritual life out of us. Are we better off because of Facebook? Twitter? Snap Chat? I believe that this is actually a spiritual plague of diabolic information, which seeks to crowd out the voice of the Lord.

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice, and the stranger’s voice they will not follow.” Going all the way back to Genesis 4, look at what the serpent told Eve: there was information that God was holding back on her. And ever since she bit off that piece of apple, she opened up the floodgates of information that has grown out of control.

The voice of the Shepherd is not a loud voice. Going back to Elijah the prophet in 1 Kings 19:11-3:

1 Kings 19:11-13 King James Version (KJV)
And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the Lord. And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake:
12 And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.
13 And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

Elijah was a prophet, and yet in this passage he too needed to be reminded about the Still Small Voice.

The Psalmist writes in Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Stillness comes when we are willing to stop and allow God to start. Acknowledge God. Give Him the room He needs to work.

“As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.” Genesis 8:22

As is seen in the scripture above, winter is clearly part of God’s plan (don’t tell a Floridian this…LOL).

So if the Lord established winter as a season, it would be incumbent upon us to understand its purpose.

Here are some thoughts about the role of winter in a person’s spiritual development:

In the winter season you can clearly see all the dead things that surround you because the foliage isn’t there to obscure them.

During the winter season, it is more important than ever to maintain your heating system, that means fuel your spiritual fire and passions, otherwise the fire will go out.

The way we fuel our passions is through relationships, through communication and through worship.

During the winter season, it is very important that you maintain your eating and nutritional supplements:
■ Vitamin D which is Sonlight Vitamin
■ Vitamin B which is your Energy Vitamin
■ Vitamin C which is your Community Vitamin

Other tips to prospering during the winter season are:
■ Moisturizers, since our outer skin actually can get quite cracked and dried out
■ Lip balm, because lips get chapped – so watch your words because it says in Proverbs 13 vs 2-3 about the words of one’s mouth
■ Stay active, get out, avoid burrowing inside
■ Spiritual agility, keep up your spiritual disciplines and keep stretching spiritually

I was thinking about one of the great spiritual battles in the New Testament, which was when “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by the Spirit in the wilderness.” Luke 4:1

If you notice that Jesus wasn’t just brought into the wilderness, but the NASB describes this experience as “led around by the Spirit.”

Have you ever felt like you were “led around“?

If you haven’t, I will admit that I have; more than once.

But I was reminded of this passage in scripture and some of the aspects of the engagement.

Luke 4:5-8 And he led Him up and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said to Him, “I will give You all this domain and its glory; for it has been handed over to me, and I give it to whomever I wish. Therefore if You worship before me, it shall all be Yours.” Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘YOU SHALL WORSHIP THE LORD YOUR GOD AND SERVE HIM ONLY.’”

“Lord, I, [name], acknowledge, and recognize into all of my ways today, and you promise to direct my paths. Thank you.”

Remember His Promises: For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 1 Cor 1:20

Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. 2 Cor 7:1

Confession: For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Ps 51:3,7. 10

Specific requests: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. Mat 7:7-8

If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, without criticizing; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. James 1:5-7

The first fight Nehemiah had to fight was the fight against spiritual mediocrity. Spiritual mediocrity accepts what we
are and who we are rather than pressing into the high call of God. They say if you want to boil a frog, do it slowly so they don’t notice that they are being cooked.Our culture has an effect of boiling the Church, so that we no longer discern the boundaries, and in the effort of cobbling together some sort of coalition of unity, we lower the bar of God’s Kingdom.

Exposure to a condition either positive or negative often causes us to be unaware of dangers or solutions.

Probably the first thing that anyone has to do when praying into an impossible situation is overcome the condition called familiarity.

Familiarity obscures what you have and also where you are and what you have at your disposal.

Fervency removes the veil of familiarity. The quickest way to pray with fervency is to tap into the fear of the Lord.

And secondly, another effect of familiarity is to hide our assets from us. Our greatest asset is access to the throne of God.

Whatever becomes too familiar to us ends up losing its original value. And as you can see that can relate to God in terms of familiarity of him causes us to lose our fear of him. Whatever you are too familiar with you no longer see.

Thirdly, one of the effects of sin is familiarity. That is why familiarity appears to be a form of pride.